REVIEW: ‘WILDC.A.T.S,’ Issue #2

WildCATS #2 from DC is a zany tour of the team and the Halo Corporation. Matthew Rosenberg continues charting the team’s escapades as the series writer, with Stephen Segovia providing the high-octane art and inks. Elmer Santos delivers inviting hi-def colors, while Ferran Delgado letters panels with precision (and delivers some snazzy intro words in parchment design). If you snagged the first issue, and you should have if you like this team and Wildstorm characters, then you know things never slowed down for our antiheroes. While searching out those vile Daemonites, getting trapped in the process, our gang just might have run afoul of something as bad. Maybe worse.

The Court of Owls. Gotham’s clandestine familial cult of uber-rich schemers. With Deathblow dead (for the moment) and Fairchild worn out, this leaves the talkative Grifter and combative Zealot to handle the Court, whom they’ve never met, their Talon soldiers, and power armor goons from literally upstairs. Grifter is definitely a chatterbox, and Zealot ends up having to save the day as things get way out of hand. This mission went belly up by the end of issue #1, and it ends with a dash of lowbrow humor.

Rosenberg is handling the combat with fierceness, and Segovia is certainly up to the task of showing these characters’ humanity and fitness back to back. I love how Zealot appears flat every time. Usually, this would seem off or a bad rendering of facial expressions. But here, it showcases both that the character is alien, so we shouldn’t expect her to make human emotes, and battle for her is normal. This is just another day for Zannah, even with Grifter making things harder.

WildCATS #2 offers amusing dialogue that I, once again, was not expecting. But the real surprise is the Halo Corporation, run by team leader (Lord) Marlowe. Don’t worry. No spoilers around here. All I can say is his idea of making Halo a renowned institution for science includes some…interesting prospects. I may need to rethink whether Halo is antiheroic or supervillain in its modus operandi. Whatever it comes down to, this issue handles the fallout from the botched mission with mirth and mayhem, then manages to toss in some unexpected DC tie-ins and surprises. I am loving Wildstorm’s resurgence in the DCU. For the second time.

Rosenberg has made Grifter into more than a soldier-killer. The old comics were a love of mine, but Grifter never grew on me. His New 52 series really turned me off. But here, in just two issues, he’s an open, gabby, flawed person, obviously altered by the multiversal events he went through with the Justice League. Zannah has never been anything other than the stalwart survivor this team needs. It’s cool to get to know Deathblow, the current look for Void, bringing in Fairchild.

If I have one complaint, it’s that I don’t think a reader picking this up would really get to know the characters early on, save for Grifter and Zealot. This feels initially like it’s aimed at WildC.A.T.S. fans. Having said that, I know anyone newbie picking this up will be in for a thrill ride full of cocky superhumans and some dastardly scheming. Also, I can’t wait to see what the Court is up to and how it connects to the Daemonites. Lots going on.

WildCATS #2 is a rocket-powered demolition derby of chaotic antiheroes and turbulent maneuvering by their diminutive overlord. Everything proudly feels like it’s set for self-destruct, and I’m here for the carnage, the character development, the jokes, and just finding out what the heck Halo and the Court think they’re doing. This team is having fun with this book, and they’re knocking it out of the park. Shimmy some room in your bin for the CATS and enjoy the slow explosion.

WildCATS #2 is available wherever comic books are sold.